JAL says eyeing talks on Dreamliner compensation

A Japan Airlines aircraft (above) approaching for landing as an All Nippon Airways' Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner plane parks on the tarmac at Haneda Airport on Monday. Japan Airlines said on Tuesday it is planning to talk to US aviation giant Boeing about compensation over the prolonged grounding of the Dreamliner. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan Airlines said on Tuesday it is planning to talk to US aviation giant Boeing about compensation over the prolonged grounding of the Dreamliner.

JAL's president Yoshiharu Ueki said the immediate priority is to get the planes in the air again, but that JAL will broach the subject with its supplier at a later date.

"The important thing now is getting the 787 flying again safely as soon as possible, but we are preparing to begin these (compensation) talks when things get better," Mr Ueki said, a JAL spokesman told AFP.

The carrier and rival All Nippon Airways (ANA) have been hit by the worldwide grounding of the Dreamliner after a number of incidents including a fire on a JAL plane in Boston and an emergency landing on an ANA flight in Japan.